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Planning Assumptions and Statements
From the Results of Palomar’s Internal and External Scans

1a. San Diego County has comprehensive post-secondary options for high school graduates including community colleges, public universities, and private universities. However, some high schools focus on sending their graduates to four-year universities and do not place a high value on attending a community college.

1b. As some of the San Diego County public and private universities (in particular UCSD) accept a small number freshman applicants, an opportunity exists for the community college to facilitate transition of students from high school to the universities.

1c. When the high school exit exam is finally put into place, the demand for community college vocational programs and basic skills courses may increase.

2. Based on age, students falling within the 18-21 year old age category are the most “at risk” when considering academic performance and retention.

3a. The community college environment encompasses a diverse student population with diverse needs, therefore while it is imperative that a focus exists on quality instructional programs, flexibility and variety in offerings and services is important.

3b. Student services should be maximized to address the needs of Palomar’s diverse student population.

4. An emphasis on student outcomes and learning (e.g., Partnership for Excellence, new accreditation standards) will continue to hold across all educational environments and institutions will be required to provide evidence of student learning.

5a. Basic employer skill requirements still include the following: computation skills, computer skills, reading skills, workplace attitudes, and writing skills.

5b. In addition to the basic skill requirements, employers emphasize the value of life-long learning, general business acumen and ethics, and interpersonal skills.

6a. Over the next ten years, as the lower northern part of San Diego County builds out, the unincorporated areas around San Marcos and the areas in the upper northern part of the county will probably experience the strongest population growth.

6b. Over the next ten years, traffic volume on the I-15 corridor is expected to increase by approximately 22%.

7. State funding resources will continue to decrease while the demands placed on community colleges will increase. Therefore, community college must increase their efforts to secure alternative funding sources such as, grants, partnerships, and fundraisers.

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